Cyprus protests violation of Nicosia FIR by Turkish jets
Cyprus has protested the violation of Nicosia FIR by Turkish jets, but said that the Republic’s air space was not violated by the Turkish air force.
In statements to the press, Minister of Communications and Works Efthymios Flourentzou said he had no information concerning any incident of Turkish fighter planes harassing a Cyprus Airways flight, adding that Turkish planes violated air traffic rules in Nicosia FIR.
Speaking in Limassol, on the southern coast, Flourentzou said that Turkish planes violated air traffic rules in Nicosia FIR but had not violated Cyprus’ sovereign airspace, “in a strict sense”.
The Minister said that any use of Nicosia FIR needs to be authorized by the Cypriot authorities following a request, but instead, Turkey proceeded with issuing its own NOTAM and entered FIR Nicosia.
“There was no such request”, Flourentzou went on and added that Cyprus has denounced the incident internationally.
Asked about the progress concerning drilling activities in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, Flourentzou said that activities at the drilling rig, off the island’s southern coast, as well as helicopter ferrying of personnel between Limassol and the rig “continue without any problems”.
Houston-based ‘Noble Energy’, whose drilling rig is already in place, off the island’s southern coast, has begun drilling in Cyprus’ EEZ. The company has a concession to explore for hydrocarbons in an offshore field, south of Cyprus, known as Block 12.
Source: cna
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